Process of treating flour.



No. 769,522. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904. J. M. WILLIAMS. PROCESS OF TREATING FLOUR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, 1903 NO MODEL.

WITNESS IIVVf/VTOR X44. Q. em cfoim k/Zfifdkafiw. (C W M M ATTORNEYS Patented September 6, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN M. \VILLIAMS, OF GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

PROCESS OF TREATING FLOUR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,522, dated September 6, 1904. Application filed October 23, 1903. Serial No. 178,217. (No specimens.)

To (all whom it 72mg concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. lVILLLms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gut-hrie, in the county of Logan, Territory of Oklahoma, have invented an Improvement in Processes of Treating Flour, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a process for whitening, aging, disinfecting, increasing the absorption of, and otherwise improv ing flour.

It consists in subjecting the flour while in a state of agitation to the gases formed by the electrolysis of Water or other liquids or compounds capable of generating oxygen.

The ligureis a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for carrying out my process.

A is a dynamo or electric generator or any other source of electric energy.

E is a tightly-closed tank for containing pure water or other liquids or compounds, which tank has within it two electrodes 11 6, immersed in the water and connected by wires :1 .r with the opposite poles of the dynamo.

C is an air blower or pump for forcing air into the water of the tank.

D is a closed treating-chamber into which the flour is admitted through a chute-pipe (3, which chute-pipe communicates with a pipe 11, leading from the top of tank B, and discharges into a cylindrical casing E within the treatingchamber. The casingE contains a spiral agitator or rotary conveyer and has an opening at the opposite end from that at which it re ceives the flour.

The liquid in tank Bis rendered conductive by the addition of a little acid.

hen the current from the generator A is turned on, the water in tank B is decomposed into its constituent gases oxygenand hydrogenwhich pass out pipe 11 in to chute r and also into the casing E, where the flour in descending is bathed or immersed in the gases and by agitation in casing E is brought into intimate surface contact with the gases. The flour after being thus acted upon drops into the bin. The air-blower Cserves to energize the movement of gases through and dilutes the same to the required degree, so as to regulate i l I l the bleaching and disinfecting action, as circumstances may require. This air, it will be seen, is introduced below the level of the water in tank B, so that as it rises through the water it is scrubbed and purified thereby.

The gases liberated in my process have a very powerful effect in whitening, purifying, and disinfecting the flour without producing any deleterious by-products in the flour, and the process is carried out in a very simple and practical manner.

I am aware that flour has been treated by oxygen and ozone, and 1 make no claim to this broadly.

I am also aware that the electrolysis of watcr is well known as a method of separating water into its constituent gases-oxygen and hydrogen. I do not know, however, that the principle of electrolysis has ever beenapplied in the milling art as a process of aging flour, and it has in this art peculiarly novel and valuable results in that it avoids the dangers of explosion which the production of ozone by sparking discharges of static electricity involves. it avoids the production of byproducts which give obnoxious and hurtful flavors to the flour, which substance by virtue of its absorbent qualities is especially liable to take on such objectionable odors. It is also distinguished from processes generating oxygen by the rcaction of chemical agents in that the latter does not generate oxygen in a uniform way and is liable also to develop objectionable by-products, and the apparatus requires frequent cleaning. My process is carried on continuously and uniformly, and from first to last can produce nothing but oxygen and hydrogen, neither of which can produce any deleterious effect. Furthermore, the same body of water which furnishes the two gases also acts to scrub and purify the air introduced. There is also no residuum left in the Again, the forcible introduction of air energizes the movement of the aging-gases and carries them through and uniformly distributes them. Said air also by dilution of the gases furnishes means for regulating the activity of the gases to suit different cond1- tions of flour and economizes the use of the immediately forcing the gaseous product through the flour substantially as described.

2. The process of Whitening and purifying flour, Which consists in decomposing an oxygen-bearing liquid by electrolysis, forcing the gaseous product along and diluting the same by the admixture with an extraneous blast of air introduced below the level of the liquid and delivering the mixture of gases into the flour substantially as described.

JOHN M. WILLIAMS. WVitnesses:

E. P. HIoKs, ED SIMMONS. 

